“‘More and more able-bodied people are seeing Para sports like sit-skiing or Para ice hockey and they think it’s cool, they don’t see barriers,’’ she (Dr. Cheri Blauwet) said. ‘’There are Para ice hockey teams now with able-bodied players. It helps fill out teams and makes more competition.’’’ (VISTA 2017: Blauwet talks breaking barriers)
Since Zimbabwe joined the Paralympic movement, negative bias towards disabled Zimbabweans have decreased, as well as the national pride appearing and growing for them.
Paralympians have been using online platforms to help show the opportunities available for people with physical or mental impairments. Some of these athletes that use social media show that they can have full, productive lives. They show the world that having an impairment does not stop them from being happy.
In the 1960s, adaptive sports in the United States were created to rehabilitate war veterans. Woman joined the Paralympics later, and because they did not fight in the war at the time, many female Paralympians were either born, or had a disease which lead them to being refered as disabled.